"Locally owned, commercial-scale wind projects that optimize local benefits. Locally owned means that one or more members of the local community has a significant direct financial stake in the project other than through land lease payments, tax revenue, or other payments in lieu of taxes. Commercial-scale, for this purpose, means all projects that are too large to qualify for net metering."

Another definition is provided by Bolinger (2004) defines community wind as "locally owned utility-scale wind development, on either the customer or utility side of the meter."